This section contains a brief introduction to the grammar of Southern Ute. Topics covered include silent vowel alternations, suffixing, prefixing, compounding, person marking, plurality, and negation.
Each morpheme entry features the grammatical label, spelling (with alternations in parentheses), meaning in English (when applicable), an example in use, and usage notes when needed. Click the speaker icon [ICON] next to each example to hear it spoken aloud.
Voicing of final vowels plays a key role in Ute grammar. A voiceless final vowel often marks a noun as subject, while a voiced final vowel marks object function.
Below are examples of voicing alternations based on suffixation and grammatical role. A devoiced final vowel often becomes voiced when a suffix is added.
| Form | Gloss / Meaning |
|---|---|
| sariich(i) | dog |
| sariich | dog (subject) |
| sariichi | dog (object) |
| sariichiu | dogs |
| tügüv(ü) | friend |
| tügüv | friend (subject) |
| tügüvü | friend (object) |
| tügüvün | my friend |
| kaan(i) | house |
| Kaan akagar. | This house is red. |
| Manapoway kaani! | Get off the house! |
Ute derives meaning through affixation and root combination. Three common processes are suffixing, prefixing, and compounding.
This process adds morphemes to the end of a word or root.
Reminder: word-final silent vowels are voiced when suffixes are added.
This process adds morphemes to the beginning of a word or root (e.g., negation, reduplication, stem incorporation).
This process combines multiple words or roots to derive a new word.
I, me, my
my mother's house
we, us, our (I + you)
Wüükavaaram!
Let's work! (you and I)
Givón, 2011: 307
we, us, our (I + them - you)
we, us, our (I + you + them)
Wüükakapaaraw!
Let's work! (Me, you, and them)
Givón, 2011: 307
you, your (more than one)
Are you okay?
you, your
Who is your mother and father?
it, its, they, them, their (non-living thing)
to pour, to spill > to spill it, to spill it out
she, her, hers, he, him, his (not visible)
tongue > somebody's tongue (not visible)
she, her, hers, he, him, his (visible)
they, them, their (living thing)
tongue > their tongues
writer > writers
boy > boys
ivi > ivikyay
to drink > they are drinking
Givón, 2011: 54
taapügay'u > tahtaapügay'u
s/he kicked him (once) > s/he kicked him repeatedly
Givón, 2011: 57
it, its, they, them, their (non-living thing)
to shoot > to shoot it
one's own
Üm tuwachiav pünikyaka.
You saw your own child.
Givón, 2011: 241
"on"
Kaani 'unakwapa'aga tarugway.
s/he is climbing up on the house
Givón 2011: 74, Givón 2011: 76
"come"
Uvwachaw mürükachi kanivaachawi.
Let's go over there to the white man's house.
Givón 2011: 76
Motion toward an animate (living) location
mamachivaachukhw
towards the woman
Givón 2011: 75
Motion toward an inanimate (non-living) location
"in the direction of"
Aapachivaachü nüka'nikya.
S/he listened to the boy.
Givón 2011: 113
"in the direction of"
Kaanivaatü püninkya.
S/he looked toward the house.
Givón 2011: 113
"on" or "above"
kaani'umatukhw
on top of the house up there
Givón 2011: 74
tüka'napütüvwamitukhw
down off the table
Givón 2011: 74
"at"
köör(i) naro'akaanivat(ü) tümünakway
pickup at the store
"in the direction of"
that way; in that direction
"with"
Mamach tühkuavi wiichim chihkavi'naka.
The woman cut the meat with a knife.
Givón 2011: 282
"with"
I am with Vera.
It's not written correctly.
I'm going to win today.
to write > writer
I am feeling lonesome.
This is not a duck.
You used to laugh.
I will see you again.
The girls sang.
Wüükahkaanam togwayuhpüga.
The work is finished.
wüükapüga > kawüükapüa
she worked > she didn't work
Givón 2011: 129
to want, to like > to not want, to not like
sariich > sariichi
dog (subject form) > dog (object form)
ööv(ü) > öö'an
bone > my bone(s)
Givón, 2011: 100, Givón, 2011: 335
maamachiu > maamachiuat
women > some of the women
Givón, 2011: 99
dog
tup > tupay
mouth (subject form) > mouth (object form)
tühkuav(i)
meat
ivi > ivip(ü)
to drink > liquor, alcohol
Givón, 2011: 45-46
Give me a single portion.
five apples
Uvaas karüpüga uwasüga uvayak.
So then he sat there.
Givón, 2011: 298 - 299
Maypügaam ivaakü nuuchigyapü 'avi.
So they said, "right there there's an injured person lying."
Givón, 2011: 300
N > N
kanigyat(ü) > kani'uniaaghat(ü)
homeowner > landlord
Givón, 2011: 410
V > V
to talk > to translate, interpret, or otherwise speak on behalf of another
N > N
pink (stem) > pink
N > N
sariich(i) > sariichich(i)
dog > little dog
Givón, 2011: 407
N > N
sarich(i) > sarivüch(i)
dog > skinny, stray dog
Givón, 2011: 406
N > N
V(t) > N
to hoist (on) > flag, something hanging up, umbrella
N > N
tuwach(i) > katuwachi'at(ü)
child > childless person
N > N
tühkakaan(i) > tühkakaanigyat(ü)
restaurant > restaurant owner
N > N
N > N
to hide + to do > something hidden
N > N
kan(i) > kanigyap(ü) kuhchupuk(u) > kuhchupukugwap(ü)
house > deserted house, ruin cow > dead cow
Givón, 2011: 408
V > V
Kümuy tüsukway. > Kümuy tüsukwtay.
(They) are grinding corn. > Corn is being ground.
Givón, 2011: 55
N > V(i) or Adj > V(i)
It's dark. > It's getting darker.
V> N
V > N
V > V
to grow > to grow something, to make something grow